Current Headlines

The Smithfield Times – Wed., March 9, 2011 – Page 5 Supers threaten reprimands By Diana McFarland News editor The Isle of Wight Board of Supervisors discussed a potential new policy Thursday concerning questions posed to employees by supervisors.  The issue was discussed during closed session, which caused Smithfield Supervisor Al Casteen to hesitate on…

Listen to VCOG Sunshine Week public service announcement. You are free to download, copy or link to the file.

The Smithfield Times, March 2, 2011 McPherson suit settled confidentiallyby Scott King  The $2.4 million lawsuit be- tween Superintendent Dr. Michael McPherson and Board member Herb DeGroft has settled, though details are being kept confidential. Terms of the “confidential settlement” could not be dis- closed, said DeGroft’s attorney William Nexsen of Norfolk. McPherson filed the…

Two interesting articles from the Smithfield Times, which does not have online links. One is about opposition by some board of supervisors members to having someone who has written critical letters to the editor about the board barred from appointment to the Planning Commission. The other is about an attempt to have all requests for…

By Diana McFarland News editor An attempt to block a resident critical of the county from serving on the Isle of Wight Planning Commission failed Thursday in a 3-2 vote. Smithfield Supervisor Al Casteen asked the Board of Su- pervisors to appoint Jim Minton of Smithfield to the Planning Commission. Board and commission appointments have…

A federal district court in Richmond upheld Virginia’s limitation on the use of the state’s Freedom of Information Act to citizens of the Commonwealth (and newspapers covering Virginia). The court agreed that the plaintiffs had standing to bring the suit (a technical issue that was previously disputed), but also ruled the limitation does not burden…

Keep track of access-related bills in the 2011 General Assembly with VCOG’s legislative chart. New bills are being added, and once the session starts, actions will be taken quickly, so check back often.

The Virginia Coalition for Open Government has submitted comments to the Governor’s Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring in opposition to the proposal to eliminate the FOIA Council. Read the comments here.

The VCOG Blog is now INTERACTIVE! Users can register and comment on VCOG Blog posts. Tell us what YOU think about the Governor’s Government Reform Commission’s idea to cut the FOIA Council and what the FOIA Council means to you. Click here to join the conversation.

The December 2010 issue of VCOG’s monthly e-mail newsletter is also online here.

The governor’s reform commission isn’t involved solely with major changes such as privatizing the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control system. It has also recommended the elimination or consolidation of several state boards and commissions. One of those hits close to home. Recommended for closure is an agency that is critical to smoothing government interactions with the…

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court outlawed City Council’s ban on public comments at regular Council meetings, the Philadelphia Inquirer reporterd. The court ruled that Council was in violation of the state’s 1993 Sunshine Act, which requires “a reasonable opportunity” for residents and taxpayers at meetings “to comment on matters of concern, official action or deliberation which…

November e-newsletter is online. For past e-newsletters, click here.  

A Fairfax County Circuit Court ruled Sept. 9 that the names home and business addresses of the Virginia Commonwealth University Board of Visitors must be released when requested under FOIA.

As reported by a Fox News affiliate in Ohio, the Midwest director of the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network is challenging the constitutionality of Tennessee’s Open Records Act. The act allows only Tennessee residents to request and obtain public records held by the state and its local governments. Virginia has a similar provision that…

VCOG is proud to sponsor a seminar for records managers called “Making Your FOIA Life Easier.” Panelists from the Library of the Virginia, the FOIA Council and representatives from state and local government will be on hand to discuss tips and strategies for better records management: the better your records are organized, the easier FOIA…

This came across my desk this morning from a fellow in Harrisonburg who has asked for salary data from the school district. When given the information, he was also directed to this policy for the school district. A FOIA request is public information, so there’s nothing technically wrong with the policy. But when requests for…

Roger Chesley, Virginian-Pilot: I don’t expect local officials to make my life easy when I’m trying to collect information. It’s my job to dig that stuff out. I also don’t expect them to twist the law to keep details about the public’s business from the public. The state’s Freedom of Information Act gives authorities too…

The 4th Circuit revived a lawsuit challenging Virginia FOIA’s citizens-only provision. The lower court threw it out, saying the two of the plaintiffs didn’t have standing and a third plaintiff named the wrong party as a defendant. The 4th Circuit reversed on the standing issue, saying the two plaintiffs can proceed with their challenge. The court…

The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond ruled yesterday that privacy advocate BJ Ostergren cannot be constitutionally barred from publishing Social Security Numbers on her blog. The 3-judge federal panel upheld the lower court ruling, but also said that the lower court should have further extended its ruling allowing publication for well-known Virginians to…

In response to a request from a California records requester, the director of appeals and rulings at Virginia’s Department of Taxation said public bodies cannot add sales tax to the cost of providing the records under FOIA. “The sales tax does not apply to copies of public records furnished in response to a FOIA request,”…

Sampling of actual cost charges in other states Florida: Up to 15 cents for one-sided pages and additional 5 cents for two-sided. Illinois: No charge for first 50 pages of a document; per page charge is 15 cents. Indiana: 10 cents per page. Search costs, labor or overhead considered part of direct costs and can’t…

According to the Mississippi Center for Freedom of Information at the University of Mississippi, the Magnolia state’s open records law says public bodies can charge the “actual cost” for providing the records. “Who knew those two words could be interpreted in so many ways?” the center asks in its spring newsletter. Here’s a sampling of…

A Glade Spring group is looking to help residents fight city hall – or town hall, or county hall or any government agency not responding to requests for open government. Patti Woolard, a member of the Glade Spring Civic Club told the Washington County News that her group is offering to front folks the court…

A group of citizens in Northern Virginia is starting to make its presence known: The Virginia Citizens Coalition for Police Accountability has a website up and running, and a new e-mail address. The group recently received a letter from Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova saying that the Fairfax BOS “will be pursuing”…